Some of the country’s honey output is declining due to the usage of chemical pesticides that are harmful to the environment and the destruction of bee habitats, according to researchers.
University of Rwanda professor Elias Bizuru told the New Times that his research indicated that honey production is steadily declining due to the likely shift in land use and bee population loss, according to the most recent findings in this area of conservation research.
As an example, honey production has been substantially reduced in Nyamasheke district because of a fall in bee populations.” ‘He called for the incorporation of organic farming into agricultural methods after stating that in one example, honey production dropped from five tons per year to just half that amount, a 90 percent loss.’
Pesticides and fertilizers made from organic materials are used in organic farming.
Research into alternatives to chemical pesticides is needed, he said.
“The government should design and implement a national policy and programs for organic farming,” he said.
According to research, 17 percent of homes use Cypermethrin, 19.2 percent use Dithane, 55 percent use Rocket insecticide, 4.6 percent use Thioda, 2.7 percent use Ridomil, and 1.6 percent use Ridomil. Beam.
These insecticides are primarily utilized on crops such as rice, corn, tomatoes, Irish potatoes, eggplants, beans, and cabbages, among others.
“When certain pesticides are applied to crops, residual levels are discharged into the environment through the air, soil, and water.” Residual pesticides can be detected on many crops, and some, such as the insecticide Rocket, are hazardous to animals, birds, fish, and other aquatic creatures, according to Bizuru.
The insecticide cypermethrin has also been linked to cancer.
“Cypermethrin, which is primarily used in rice and maize crops, is very poisonous to fish, bees, and aquatic insects while being very low toxic to birds,” the researcher stated.
Lambda-Cyhalothrin, a fungicide used on Irish potatoes, he claims, is very poisonous to bees on acute contact, as well as freshwater fish and other creatures lacking a backbone.
The findings come from a study titled “Agroecology in Rwanda: Status, Opportunities, and Challenges,” which looked into the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in eight districts, primarily Gisagara, Rubavu, Gicumbi, Nyamasheke, Musanze, Bugesera, Nyaruguru, and Huye, and interviewed at least 2,635 farmers.
Elias Uwizeyimana, a beekeeper from the Bugesera district, discovered that pesticides used on corn and tomatoes were threatening honey production.
“I currently harvest between 5 and 10 liters of honey per hive,” he explained.
According to him, production is still low in comparison to the potential output.
“Beekeeping necessitates a location with forests, flowers, and other plant species that lure bees away from chemically-treated areas,” he explained.
